Number of arson grass and brush fires tops 50 across Novato

Authorities swarmed to a mysterious fire that erupted from an Ignacio trash can Monday night, but found no one nearby as officials continued the hunt for an arsonist who has tried to set at least 50 small fires in two other Novato neighborhoods.

No damage was done when the trash can on Montura Way began burning at about 9:20 p.m. Residents said they had no idea how the fire started and investigators don't know if it was part of the arsonist's spree, but added it might be.

"It's hard to tell," said Eric Nickel, deputy fire chief.

Officials Tuesday morning planned for a press conference in the afternoon, and hoped to post a reward for more information leading to the arrest of the fire bug. Residents will be urged to call authorities to report any suspicious activity.

The latest incident comes after an arsonist tried to set 50 fires in South Novato and in the Bahia open space three miles away. One Bahia fire burned about half an acre, while others burned small patches of brush and grassland. Many failed to catch on, and damage has been minimal.

"A lot of those are very small fires — 2-foot by 2-foot 'garbage can lid' fires — but they are (located) within two specific areas," said Novato police Capt. Jim Berg.

No suspect has been identified and no one has been hurt.

The fires in neighborhoods near the freeway exit at South Novato Boulevard, and those in Bahia, "are separated by a distance, but they are very similar in size and scope and the lack of obvious ignition sources," Berg said. "The patterns seem to be very similar."

Novato police and fire officials are investigating with help from a multiagency fire investigation team led by the county.

"As far as a cause, we don't have any obvious signs of what's being used to ignite these fires, but we have collected a few items at various scenes that will require some testing to see if they were used as ignition sources," the captain said.

The first flames broke out shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday in South Novato. Fires

were sparked as far south as Entrada Drive in the Ignacio area but most were concentrated farther north near intersections in the neighborhoods near the South Novato Boulevard exit.

The blazes were quickly doused, and in the daylight Sunday firefighters mopped up other hot spots where attempts to start fires had been made.

Late Sunday night and early Monday morning, fires also broke out in the open space next to the Bahia neighborhood of northeast Novato. The Bahia fires burned a quarter-mile or more away from the nearest road, but they were close enough to waft smoke through the neighborhood, awakening residents.

"I thought my house was on fire," Bahia resident Adrianna Roome said Monday morning as she jogged past firefighters on a trail in the Rush Creek Open Space Preserve. "The smell of smoke was really strong."

"I just hope they catch whoever did it," Roome added.

On Seascape Drive in South Novato, resident Ernie Russo slept soundly as a small patch burned about 20 yards from his front door early Sunday morning. When he woke up and and saw the scorched ground he was thankful flames did not spread to structures in the townhouse complex. "That's very dangerous stuff to be fooling around with," he said.

Deputy Fire Chief Nickel said fire officials "are throwing everything we got" at responding to fires and investigating the case. "The crews here have been up all night," for several days, he said.

He noted authorities have boosted patrols and sprang into action when a fire was found burning in a trash can on Montura Way Monday night, but found no one and no clue as to how the fire started. Nearby residents were not barbecuing and did not smoke.

Nickel has noted the fires could have been deadly or caused serious damage. Despite lack of rain that has left grassland dry this winter, most of the fires were put out before burning more than a few hundred square feet.

One weekend fire was set in a trash Dumpster and others scorched a utility pole and yard fencing, the only property damaged by the blazes.